Clothes-wringer.



E. B. STOCKING, DECD.

S. C. STOCKING. EXECUTRIX.

CLOTHES WRINGER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-16, 1917.

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Patented Nov; 27, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

w N m I Q w w g? w I a N i i; m L N? v v H 3 I D I N i E. B. STOCKING, DECD.

S- C. STOCKING, EXECUTRIX.

CLOTHES WRINGER.

APPUCATION FILED .IAN- l6, 1917.

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Patented. Nov. 27, 191?.

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EDGAR B. STOCKING, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF CCLUMBIA; SARAH C. STOCKING!- EXECUTBIX F SAID EDGAR B. STOCKING, DECEASED.

CLOTHES-WRINGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 16,. 1917. Serial No. 142,702.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR B. STOCKING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented hertain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Wringers, of which the following is a specification, reference be- 1 ing hadtherein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in automatic pressure releasing means for clothes wringers and the like, and is a companion case to my application filed December 14, 1916, Serial No. 137,017, the object being to simplify the construction of pressure release.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of release with means for operating the catches employed for holding the top bar in predetermined position simultaneously so that both ends of the top bar will be released at the same time in order to allow the pressure roll to be moved vertically by the raising springs and maintained in horizontal position within the frame,

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel form of catch in connection with keeper plates so constructed that the catch lugs of the latches hold the top bar in predetermined position in such a manner that the same is prevented from wobbling under pressure.

Another and further object of the invention is to provide a clothes wringer with raising springs disposed between the pres-.

sure roll carrying shafts in such a manner that when the pressure is released the springs will expand so as to raise the upper roll bodily away from the lower roll.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a power control for the driving member which is operated by the rock shaft employed for connecting the operating members together so as to cause the spring catches to be operated in unison. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by {1 the appended claims. 7

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation of a clothes wringer partly in section showing the application of my improved construction of pressure release thereto;

Fig. 2 is an end view, the driving member being removed;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section showing the pressure rolls separated and the power cut off, the top bar being shown detached in dotted lines;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the operating members showing the inclined engaging face for releasing the spring catch; and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view showing the manner of connecting the arm of the rock shaft to the power shifter.

Like numerals of reference refer to like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

In the drawing 1 indicates a Wringer frame having the usual slotted side bars 2 provided with bearings 3 in which is mounted the shaft 4 of a lower pressure roll 5, said shaft being extended at one end in order to provide vmeans for driving the same. Movably mounted on the lower pressure roll 5 is an upper roll 6'provided with a shaft 7 carrying bearings 8 provided with spring supporting portions 9 on which are mounted coil pressure springs 10 engaged by bearing plates 11 carried by the ends of a pressure bar 12, said bearings and pressure springs working in grooves formed in the opposing faces of the slotted side bars in order to hold the parts in position within the frame. The upper ends of the slotted side bars are preferably cut away to form shoulders so as to provide a seat for a movably mounted top bar 13 provided with the usual threaded boxes 14 carrying pressure screws 15 adapted to engage the bearing plates 11 carried by the pressure bar 12 so as to adjust the pressure on the pressure rolls when the top bar is held in predetermined position within the frame.

Disposed between the bearings 3 and 8 of the upper'and lower pressure roll carrying shafts are coil lifting springs 16 which are seated at their lower ends on spring supports 17 formed on the bearings 3 and are engaged by depending positioning lugs 17 carried by the bearings 8 so as to hold the springs in position between the bearings of the upper and lower pressure roll carrying a clutch pin 19 which is adapted to be engaged by the clutch face of a driving member 20 loosely mounted on the lower pressure roll shaft as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, said shaft being surrounded by a coil spring 21 for holding the clutch face in engagement with the clutch pin so that when the driving member 20 is rotated the lower shaft will be driven and through the medium of the meshing gears the pressure rolls will be rotated.

In connection with the driving member I provide means for moving the same outwardly gainst the tension of the spring so as to move the clutch face out of engagement with the clutch pin which comprlses a shaft 22 mounted in a bracket 23 secured to oneof the side bars of the wringer frame, said shaft having fingers 24: which engage the driving member when the shaft is rocked so as to move the same outwardly thereof. The shaft 22 is provided with an operating arm 25 which is connected to the parts of the wringer in such a manner that when the pressure is released the power will be shifted as will be hereinafter fully described.

Secured to the ends of the top bar 13 are spring catches 26 provided with oppositely disposed catch lugs 27 adapted to engage keeper lugs 28 and 29 formed on keeper plates 30 and 31 secured on the outer faces of the side bars at their upper ends as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The keeper plates are provided with rabbeted inner edges forming guideways for operating members 32 which are provided with bifurcated lower portlons embracing the pressure roll carrying shafts as clearly shown in Fig. 2, said operating members 32 being provided with semi-circular bearing portions 33 riding on the upper pressure roll carrying shaft 7. The operating members 32 are provided with inclined engaging faces 33 adapted to engage the outwardly turned lower ends 26 of the spring catches 26 when raised so as to move the catch lugs 27 out from under the keeper lugs 28 in order to allow the top bar to move vertically. The keeper lugs 28 and 29 are provided with inclined faces and when the catch lugs are forced outwardly from under the lower keeper lugs 28 the catch lugs ride on these inclined faces upwardly on the keeper plates and are engaged by the upper keeper lugs 29 which form stops so as to limit the upward movement of the top bar in order to prevent the same from jumping out when the pressure is released. The upper keeper lugs 29 are beveled so that when the spring catches and in order to provide means for causing both of the operating members to be raised in unison so that the spring catches will be released simultaneously, I provide the wringer with a rock shaft 34 which is mounted in the side bars thereof and is provided at each end with an arm 35 which extends through a spring bracket 36 carried by one of th legs of the operating member in such a ma ner that when either of the operating members are raised, the shaft 3: is rocked so as to carry the other operating member upwardly therewith whereby both of the operating members will be thrown into engagement with the spring catches in unison so as to operate the catches simultaneously to release both ends of the top bar. Connected to one of the brackets 35 is a coil spring 37 which is connected at its opposite end with a pin 37 carried by one of the side bars 2 of the wringer rame so as to aid the holding of the operating members and rock shaft in the proper positions.

The arm 35 of the shaft 34 arranged adjacent the driving member carries a link 38 which is connected to the arm 25 of the shaft 22 so that when the shaft 34: is rocked by the raising of the operating members, the driving member will be disconnected from the shaft of the lower pressure roll. In Fig. 5 I have shown the arm of the rock shaft moved in the slot of the link 38 in the act of shifting the power as the slot of the arm 38 provides means for allowing a working movement between the power shifter and the timing means, and in operation the parts are set so that the power control is operated slightly in advance of the pressure releasing means but I have found in practice that these parts operate so close together that they in reality operate in unison.

In the operation of the automatic pressure releasing means, assuming that the parts are in the position as shown in Fig. 1, and that clothes are being drawn between the pressure rolls when a thick bunch of clothes or the operators hand is drawn between the rolls so as to raise the rolls abnormally, the operarness ating members are raised vertically such a distance that the engaging faces thereof are brought into engagement with the lower ends of the spring catches so as to move the catches out of engagement with the keepers which releases the top bar and allows the lifting springs to bodily raise the upper pressure roll. As either of the operating members is moved vertically through the medium of the rock shaft and its con nection therewith, the other operating memher is moved vertically so as to cause the spring catches to be released simultaneously and at the sametime the rock shaft through its connection with the power shifter moves the driving member into position to allow the same to rotate freely on the shaft of the lower pressure roll so as to stop the rotation of said rolls.

I claim:

1. A clothes wringer, comprising a pair of rolls having means for holding said rolls separated, pressure means for holding said pressure rolls in contact under pressure, means actuated by the abnormal separation of said rolls for releasing said pressure means, and means for maintaining the parallelism of said rolls when separated.

2. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having pressure rolls and pressure means for said rolls mounted therein, said rolls having shafts, lifting springs disposed between the shafts of said rolls, and means actuated by the abnormal separation of said rolls for releasing said pressure means.

3. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having pressure rolls, duplicate pressure means, duplicate pressure retaining means, and duplicate releasing means operated by the separation of the rolls, a power control,

and means having a connection with the duplicate pressure releasing means and said power control for operating said separate releasing means and power I control in unison.

4. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having pressure rolls and pressure means for saidrolls, means-at each end of said frame for holding said pressure means in predetermined position, means for bodily raising one of said rolls, and connected means at each end of said frame actuated by the abnormal separation of said rolls for releasing said pressure retaining means.

5. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having pressure rolls and pressure means for said rolls, members at each end of said frame for holding said pressure means in predetermined position, means for bodily raising one of said rolls, and connected members at each end of the lowerroll actuated by the abnormal separation of said rolls for simultaneously releasing said pressure retaining means.

6. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having pressure rolls and pressure means for said rolls mounted therein, movable members for holding said pressure means in predetermined position, means for bodily raising one of said rolls, and connected operating members actuated by the abnormal separation of said rolls engaging said retaining members for releasing said pressure means.

7 A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having a pair of shafts carrying cooperating pressure rolls, one of said rolls being movable toward and away from the other roll, springs disposed between said shafts for holding said rolls separated, means for maintaining tension upon the movable roll, and means actuated by the separation of said rolls for releasing said tension means when said rolls are separated abnormally.

8. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having a pair of shafts provided with cooperating pressure rolls, one of said rolls being movable toward and away from the other roll, springs disposed be Ween the shafts for normally holding said rolls separated, pressure means for said movable roll, movable members for holding said pressure means in predetermined position, and connected members actuated by the abnormal separation of said rolls engaging said retaining members for releasing said pressure means.

9. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having pressure rolls and pressure means for said rolls mounted therein, means for normally holding said pressure means in predetermined position, means for bodily separating said rolls, and members actuated by the abnormal separation of said rolls engaging said pressure retaining means for releasing said pressure, said members being connected together for simultaneously releasing said pressure retaining means.

10. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having pressure rolls and pressure means for said rolls mounted therein, means for holding said pressure means in predetermined position, springs for bodily separating said rolls, members actuated by the abnormal separation of said rolls engaging said retaining means for releasing said pressure means, and an operative connection between said members for causing said members to move in unison.

11. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having pressure rolls and pressure means for said rolls mounted therein, members for holding said pressure means in predetermined position, means for bodily sepa rating said rolls when the pressure is released therefrom, members actuated by the "abnormal separation of said rolls cooperating with said retaining means for releasing said pressure means, a rock shaft mounted in said frame, and arms carried by said rock shaft having a' connection with said members for causing said members to work in unison.

12. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having a pair of shafts mounted therein carrying cooperating pressure rolls, one of said rolls being movable toward and away from the other roll, bearings for said shafts, coil springs disposed between said bearings, pressure means disposed in said frame for holding said movable pressure roll in contact with the other roll under tension, means for holding said pressure means in predetermined position, connected operated members actuated by the abnormal separation of said rolls engaging said pressure retaining means for releasing said pressure to allow said movable roll to be moved bodily away from the other roll.

13. A clothes wringer, comprising-a frame having pressure rolls and pressure means for said rolls, a power control for said rolls, members actuated automatically by the separation of said rolls for releasing said pressure means, a rock shaft having a connection with said members and said power control for moving said Ipower control to neutral position on the a normal separation of said rolls.

14. In a clothes wringer, the combination with pressure rolls and pressure means for said rolls, a power-control for said rolls, means for bodily separatin said rolls, members actuated automaticafiy by the abnormal separation of said rolls for releasing said pressure means, a rock shaft having arms connected to said members, and a connection between one of the arms of said rock shaft and said power control for moving said power control to neutral position.

15. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having pressure rolls and pressure means for said rolls mounted therein, springs for bodil separating said rolls, movable members or holding said pressure means in predetermined position, operating members cooperating with said movable members for releasing said pressure means, said operating members being actuated automatically by the abnormal separation of said rolls, a rock shaft having a connection with said operating member for causing'said members to move in unison, a powercontrol for said rolls, and a connection between said power control and rock shaft for moving said power control to neutral position when said operating members are moved in position to release said pressure retaining members.

16. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having pressure rolls mounted therein, pres-.

sure providing means, spaced pressure retaining means, spaced pressure releasing 1?. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame havmg pressure rolls, power applying means for said rolls, pressure providing means, spaced pressure retaining means, spaced pressure releasing means operated by the separation of said rolls, means connecting said releasing means, and automatically operated means acting to disconnect the power applying'means actuated by the automatic pressure releasing means.

18. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame havin pressure rolls and pressure means for said rolls mounted therein, pressure retaining means, Spaced pressure releasing means operated by the abnormal separation of said rolls, a device connecting said spaced releasing means whereby simultaneous operation thereof is assured, and power disconnecting means arranged and timed in its operation to remain inactive during the normal separation of the rolls.

19. A clothes wringer, comprising a frame having pressure rolls and pressure means for said rolls mounted therein, means for holding said pressure means in predetermined position, members actuated by the abnormal separation of said rolls engaging said retaining means for releasing said pressure means, a power control, and a connection between said. releasing members and power control for causing said members to move in unison and operate the power control.-

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR B. STOCKING.

Witnesses:

N. CURTIS LAMMOND, REA P. WRIGHT. 

